John combs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN COMES, OF RUSHVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO V. H. COMBS, OF SAME PLACE.

FENCE-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Ilette'rs Patent No. 513,886, dated January 30, 1894. Application filed November 24, 1393- Serial No- 491,860. (ll'o model-) To 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN COMBS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Rushville, in the county of Fairfield, in the State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Fence-Making Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fence-making machines; and the object is to provide a mechanism of a simple, efficient, reliable and improved construction, for applying the holding and sustaining wires to slats or pickets of a fence, as will hereinafter be set forth, and particularly as specified and pointed out in the claims.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my improvements in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved machine, in operative connection with a fence being made or constructed. Fig. 2 is a side View of the machine, the lower sleeve being broken away to show the slides for crossing the wire. Fig. 3 is a side view showing apreferred construction of the crossing slides. Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the sleeves and crossing slides removed from the support.

A designates a substantial post which carries the mechanism. 1 At the lower end of this post is a wheel 1, which supports it, and facilitates movement and transportation when desired, during the use of the machine. To the side of the post is secured a requisite number of wires to be strung on the fence. The apertures of the sleeves are arranged in horizontal direction, and at such height on the post as to bring the crossing-slides at the points it is desired to place the wires. The sleeves have flanges 3, with apertures to take fastening screws or bolts 4, to hold them rigid to the post.

B, B, designate the wire crossing-slides fitted in the sleeves, to reciprocate therein,

and formed at their inner ends with wire-slots 5, to take in the wires intended to be crossed.

To hold the wires in the slots, apertures 6,are'

formed through the jaws or projections of the slides, in which are detachably fitted, pins 7, held in their places by means of keepers 8,

pivotally secured to the slides, substantially as shown in the drawings.

One of the difficulties in placing wires by reciprocating slides resting one above the other, is that the wires are held on different planes in the respective positions to which moved in crossing, and appear in this relation on the fence, as separated or one being higher than the other, leaving a space between them. To bring the wires substantially on the same plane, and make a sightly and substantial relative arrangement of them, I carve out or recess the adjoining faces of the slides in the middle portion, as seen at 9, 10, in Fig. 3 of drawings. By reference thereto, it will be perceived that when the slides are moved to cross the wires 11, 12, the recesses permit the top slide to move down so as to bring the wires on the same plane at the point of crossing or intersection, thus keeping them in that relation on the slats or pickets. The wires in this operationare held straight and brought in contact in their point of crossing. To each sleeve is fulcrumed a lever.13,to the respective arms of which are pivotally connected rods 14,15,which have their outer ends similarly connected to the outer ends of the slides, substantiallyas shown in the drawings. These connecting-rods serve to operate the slides in opposite directions. lever 13, is projected an arm 16, having the outer ends pivotally-attached to a bar 17, so that by moving the bar vertically, the levers are operated in unison and simultaneously, and all the wires crossed at the same time. The bar 17, is provided with a handle 18 by which it is operated.

On the post Ais secured a curved bar or sector having recesses 19, 20, formed therein, which are engaged by the arm 16, of the adjacent lever, so that the arm may be locked or held in either its upper or lower position when the wires are crossed, and thus the slides be held in position while a slat or picket is being placed between the wires.

Any suitable tension-device may be used in connection with my machine to hold, the wires stretched in horizontal position;

In operation the wires are secured to a stay- From the middle of each post at the respective points desired, and stretched by the tensiondevice. The machine is then arranged in position with the wires in the slots of the slides, and then by operating the levers the slides are reciprocated across the wires, and inclose a picket at each crossing. As the work progresses the machine is moved to suit the work intended.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. A fence-machine comprising a post, a Wheel to support the post, sleeves secured to the post, wires crossing slides in the sleeves,

levers fulcrumed on the sleeves and formed with arms, connecting-rods between the levers and the slides, a bar connecting the arms of the levers, and a sector formed with renesses.

' JOHN COMES. Attest:

J. M. LIDEY, T. B. SMITH. 

